Actually it's quite useful! It says the help section is actually doing what it's supposed to do: providing a platform for helping Linux related questions... Moreover, it also proves, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Linux forums, and this one in particular, are not snowed under with unrelated banter like the cr*p we're used to see from other forums populated with cr*p like we're used to see from 1sf

Conversely, it could be telling us that Discussion isn't encouraging people to discuss Linux related matters, Announcements doesn't have anything worthwhile to announce, Programming is devoid of programmers, etc..

Or merely that people don't know how to use the search function to find answers that have already been provided.

A deeper analysis would be required to actually tell us anything useful.

nelz wrote:Or it could be telling us that Linux is so rubbish that people have to continually ask for help to be able to get it to work

I'm sure you meant that as a bit tongue in cheek, but the argument can be applied to any operating system. Just look at how many Windows help forums there are!

For many people (the vast majority?) computers unfortunately are simply far too complicated for their own good. Time and time again I have to listen to my husband complain that they should be like a light switch, you just flick the switch and it works. And the number of times I hear him sigh "What is it doing now? Why is it doing this? It shouldn't do this. It's rubbish". And this is on Windows, which as we all know "just works"!

I wander across and usually sort out whatever the supposed problem is in two shakes of a lamb's tail but then I have a lot more computer experience than him and far more curiosity and interest in problem solving which in a perverse sort of way I find quite fun. But I can understand his frustration and surely it shouldn't be like this.

Rhakios wrote:Conversely, it could be telling us that Discussion isn't encouraging people to discuss Linux related matters, Announcements doesn't have anything worthwhile to announce, Programming is devoid of programmers, etc..